This easy beef stir fry is a quick weeknight meal with the most delicious sauce.
Tender strips of beef and fresh vegetables are stir fried and tossed in a tangy, sweet, and savory sauce.
Serve this beef stir-fry over rice or egg noodles.
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This Is The Best Beef Stir Fry Because…
- This method ensures the beef actually comes out tender.
- The reviews speak for themselves, it’s VERY delicious.
- It can be prepped ahead, and it cooks quickly.
- The homemade sauce has lots of flavor and is easy to make.
- Clean out the fridge – you can use any variety of vegetables.
Ingredients for Beef Stir Fry
- Beef: The best beef for stir fry is either sirloin or flank steak because it is tasty, affordable, and easy to tenderize. Other cuts of beef such as chuck steak or ribeye can also be used.
- Veggies: Use whatever vegetables you have on hand, personal favorites are broccoli, snap peas, and bell peppers.
For the Stir-Fry Sauce
- Ginger/Garlic: Freshly minced garlic and ginger add tons of flavor. Jarred minced garlic or ginger can be used in this recipe.
- Orange juice: Adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the sauce. Replace the oj with pineapple juice or apple juice.
- Soy sauce: Adds umami (savory flavor).
- Brown sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness. Use either light or dark brown sugar.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty flavor.
How to Make Beef Stir Fry
- Cut and then toss the beef with cornstarch. Pan fry (recipe below) and then set aside.
- Stir-fry the vegetables and transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- Mix the sauce ingredients. Cook the sauce in the pan.
- Slowly add cornstarch. Add the vegetables and beef.
How to Keep The Beef Tender
- To make tender strips of beef, trim any silverskin, connective tissue, or large bits of fat, and then ensure you’re cutting slices across the grain (¼-inch thick).
- Don’t skip the step of tossing the beef with cornstarch as it tenderizes the meat and adds a crust for the sauce to stick to.
Tips for a Great Stir Fry
- For easier slicing, place the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting.
- Prepare all ingredients ahead of time, as a stir fry comes together quickly.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the beef won’t crisp.
- The meat, vegetables, and sauce can be prepared and stored separately for up to 48 hours before cooking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Five Star Favorite Stir-Fry Recipes
Did you enjoy this Easy Beef Stir Fry? Leave a comment and a rating below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 pound flank steak or sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 cups mixed vegetables
For the Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark
- 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients except corn starch in a bowl. Set aside.
- Trim any silverskin, connective tissue, or large bits of fat from the beef. Cut ¼-inch slices across the grain.
- Season the beef with salt & pepper and toss with cornstarch. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
- Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add half of the beef and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes (beef does not need to be cooked through). Transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Add the vegetables to the skillet, adding more oil if needed, and cook until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
- To make the sauce, reduce the heat to medium. Stir the sauce, pour it into the skillet, and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water (or broth).
- Gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce while whisking to reach the desired consistency, you may not use all of the cornstarch mixture. Let simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables and beef with any juices to the pan and cook until heated through. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve with noodles or over rice.
Notes
- For easier slicing, place the beef in the freezer for 15 minutes before cutting.
- Prepare all ingredients ahead of time, as a stir fry comes together quickly.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the beef won’t crisp.
- The meat, vegetables, and sauce can be prepared and stored separately for up to 48 hours before cooking.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 423 | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 681mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 9285IU | Vitamin C: 29.9mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3.9mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
The cornstarch on the meat prior is KEY. Smoking hot oil just caramelizes the meat–delicious. Great recipe thank you.
So flavourful and easy to follow! It’s my go-to stir fry recipe.
This is my go to for stir fry now. The hint about velvet tenderizing with corn starch elevates this recipe to total yum!
Delicious!!!! Didn’t change a thing . Restaurant quality.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! This was a hit with my family! I know that I can always count on recipes from Spend With Pennies!
Thank you so much for your kind words Taruyn, glad you loved this recipe!
What kind of noodles should I use I would like to use the noodles in the picture presented What kind are they?
The noodles in the picture are chow mein noodles purchased fresh at the grocery store. They’re often found in the produce area or near the tofu.
Wow! I used a wok for the first time tonight. I picked a great recipe. My wife lived it too.
Thanks
Fantastic dinner. The sauce is superb. Thank you for a great new recipe that I will be adding to our family menu
Easy to make. Had most of the ingredients already in the house. Family loved it.
I made this stir fry and my husband loved it so much he has insisted that it go into our regular rotation of meals! Easy, quick, and delicious! We love to add a hint of sriracha for spice! SWP Employee
Sriracha would be a perfect addition for a little extra spice! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely delicious This recipe will now be the one I use every time I make stir fry, SO good!!
I did mince the ginger in a garlic press, added fresh basil to the sauce and marinated the meat in enough of the sauce to coat what was there while preping the veggies.
Wow, this is wonderful!! I did “velvet” the beef before stir frying. My veggies were red pepper, onion and snow peas. I served over jasmine rice and topped with crunchy chow mein noodles. So good.
Delicious recipe and by far my favourite sauce. Will definitely make this again!
I made this yesterday, and followed the marinade and steak recipe/process exactly. Only exception was I didn’t add the ginger because I was feeling too lazy to grate it. For my veggies, I added some Szechuan chiles, snow peas, sweet peppers, broccoli, and green onion. I made rice to go with it. Prep takes a little time, but it’s easy enough for anyone to do. It was by far the best I’ve ever made, and was restaurant quality. Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Michael! Glad you enjoyed it.
The noodles–are they Ramen or spaghettini? Thanks in advance. Sounds delicious.
You could use either for this recipe but I would usually use ramen noodles.
Easy to make and tastes great!
Delicious! I made double the sauce and marinated the steak in half of that for a few hours. I didn’t coat the beef in cornstarch (I don’t think it needs it), and it was really yummy.
Made for my family tonight. Made a double batch, and it was so good, many had seconds.
I used asparagus, broccoli, red and yellow bell pepper strips, and I added two cans of sliced water chestnuts, which added a bit more crunch.
Used sirloin beef tips, cut against the grain. I marinated the meat in three tablespoons of red wine balsamic vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of low sodium soy sauce. Meat was very flavorful, and very tender.
After cooking all in batches, combined all in skillet and made sure to add a few tablespoons of sesame seed.
Served over rice medley made of two pouches of uncle Ben’s wild rice/quinoa mixed with two pouches of uncle Ben’s white rice.
The dish was super quick to make because I prepped veggies the night before and cheated with the instant microwave rice pouches.
Wish I’d remembered to take pictures as it was so colorful and so delicious. Will definitely make again!!
Thank you for sharing Debra! Love the prep done ahead and how quick that makes it!
Omg it was yummy this was first time attempting to make stir fry and it was awesome I’m so lucky I came upon this recipe I’m going to add it to the dinner menu at least twice a month
We made this recipe last night with everything except the sesame seed oil (i did not have any) and it was delicious. This will definitely be in our rotation. Super simple to make.
I made this with chicken broth instead of orange juice . It was delicious . Passed it on to my 2 sisters .
Yum! I hope they loved it, Sheila!
Very tasty and simple to put together!